Wednesday, April 04, 2007

A normal day?

Well normal ish.

Peter update, nothing to update. Wish there was ut nothing has changed.

Today We had a carer booked for 10.30am-6.30pm. Peter requires 24 hour care from an LVAD trained person. Which means getting outside carers in. So today, full day off for me. And only one daughter to take with me. I popped down the local shops to pay a few bills, then ws unsure of what to do next. I bumped into my old old friend Debbie and her son Connor. They used to live in the flat above us, so Debs is very aware of the situation. So i asked if they fancied a day shopping. They did, whoo hoo! I didnt need to spend the day mooching around alone.

We have lost many friends over the last few years as they havent been able to cope with the fact we cant drop things and be spontaneous, arent able to have visitors with young children over etc etc as this is what DCM and LVAD's can doto people. Its isolates you from most people. But at the same time, even though old friends are lost, there are new ones which are treading the same path as you. You knows those people will know what you say when you start spouting off about lvad, flow rates, flash tests, pumps etc etc and wont say 'what, can you explain?' because sometimes you dont want to explain.

Debbie is one friend who has been there for us, and is also someone Peter gets on with, which is great. So I took her and her son back to their to collect bags, car seat etc, and set off to Watford. There is one thing i should explain, Debbie's son is autistic. I am used to him, my kids are used to him. So a day out with them doesnt faze me. But at the moment, if he hears a child crying he screams and shouts as well. Which does mean he gots some awful stares and looks from other people. I find it hard as I want to give these people an 'education' but know that in the same way i dont want to 'explain' all the time, neither will Debbie. So i just try and let other peoples look wash over me. Which is hard. Hence, normal-ish day.

We had fun hitting the shops, went a little mad in the disney shop, a bag for me, mug, purse, Car for Serena, Cars for Connor. I also managed to get Serena some bright pink Mary-jane Crocs. They are very sweet and ideal for the hospital as apparently they can put in the dishwasher afterwards. means no nasty hospital bugs following us around lol. Also got some LUSH bath products, a glittery bath bomb, ooo it fun to shimmer after a bath :) I did some 'boring' shopping as well, which means buying socks, knickers and pj's for the children. But even boring shopping is fun after getting most of the stuff we need online over the last few years due to not always being able to go to the shops.

I made sure my phone was on loud all day. but it didnt ring. So a normal-ish day.

2 comments:

It's great that you managed to get out a bit and just have a normal day shopping with your friends - you sound so much more relaxed and happy in this entry. I'm really glad. I'm praying for you and Peter - really hope you have some good news soon!

Sarah *hugs* I'm really glad that you and Debbie enjoyed yourselves. A "normal-ish" day is good; of course, an "extraordinary" day of Peter getting that long awaited call is infinitely better but "normal" is acceptable too.

I know exactly what you mean about friends withdrawing away when your loved one is sick. The same thing happened with many of Dan's friends when he had a very severe relapse 2 and a half years ago. They were sympathetic in the beginning, but I guess their patience ran out. Dan couldn't do the "fun" things like go clubbing or drinking, and the last thing on his mind is checking out chicks or raking in the money. When you get sick, breathing becomes a priority above everything else. But fortunately for my brother, he had an amazing group of remaining friends who stuck around until the very end. These are the friends who mattered and just like Debbie, they genuine friends you would want to keep anyway. Real friendships withstand the test of time and hardships. To the friends who "left" you and Peter, it's their loss! ^_^

Happy Easter, Sarah! I'm always praying for your family and sending you good vibes!

About Me

I am a 30-something mum of 5, wife to a heart transplant recipitent, who is the love of my life. I love my large family very much. we may have ups and downs but we will bounce back stronger than ever every time.